Some quick cloud facts

The cloud. Hard to call it a new topic, it’s not. What it is, to oversimplify, is just a delivery mechanism. But it is, to say the least, a very valuable delivery mechanism. We’ve been looking into cloud solutions and the actual returns achieved by the hundreds of ROI case studies we’ve published. So let’s put some numbers behind the value of the cloud:
– Cloud delivers 1.7 times greater ROI than on premise
– Cloud applications require 80% less support from IT
– Cloud applications need 85% less up-front costs
– On-premise solutions are on average 1.8 versions behind while cloud solutions are current
– On-premise solutions have 20x more “stranded” or unneeded user licenses than cloud solutions
– The tax advantages of OPEX versus CAPEX can reduce project costs by up to 5%

It was hard to find any benefits from an on-premise (or hybrid managed service) solution. The most noted reasons for choosing on premise were security concerns or corporate temperament but, in most cases, even those reasons seemed half-hearted. From support, to deployment, to ease of use, to making the CFO smile, there’s no question cloud-based solutions deliver greater value.